


One Missed Call

by dametokillfor



Category: Mission: Impossible (Movies), Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018) spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-16 19:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15444522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dametokillfor/pseuds/dametokillfor
Summary: Ramble, babble, make jokes, don't think about how utterly terrified you are and how this might finally be that impossible mission.---xIn which Benji finds a moment alone to be terrified, and to tell Will how he feels.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact, I have shipped the crap out of these two since Ghost Protocol. Funny how it takes a film without Renner for me to finally write a crappy little snippet for them. 
> 
> This was written on my phone almost directly after I saw Fallout, and I think I've still managed to forget exactly what order the film goes in. This is supposed to be happening while Luther is telling Ilsa about Julia, and Benji has just conveniently wandered off.

_ This is William Brandt, sorry I'm not around to take your call. If you leave a name and number, I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible. _

 

“So,” Benji starts, clinging to the phone so tightly that he fears he might break it, “I might die pretty soon. Within 24 hours actually, probably a lot less, and… I need to be really selfish right now or I'm going to end up in limbo as a really miffed ghost.”

 

Benji finds himself laughing, just a little in spite of himself, “You'll find ‘heathen’ spelled in HP sauce over all your bacon, or mysterious electric kettles appearing around the kitchen.”

 

_ Ramble, babble, make jokes, don't think about how utterly terrified you are and how this might finally be that impossible mission. _

 

“I just… I needed to hear your voice, even if it is professional analyst William Brandt voicemail and not… not Will.”

 

He scrubs at his face, “I wish you were here. Wearing some stupid suit, and complaining about how stupid this idea and how we're going to die, and you're going to stand at the pearly gates and tell us you told us so. I wish we were making bets on how many limbs we'd lose, and talking about where a new scar would look coolest. Bickering over codenames, and doing your bloody lunges.”

 

A memory floats into his head. Will lunging just before he was due to seduce his first rich guy, of Benji telling him that if he did that, any guy would be all over him. Will smiling at him,  _ you weren't _ . Benji unable to respond because that was  _ flirting _ and why was someone flirting with him when Ethan and Jane were right there? Jane shaking her head fondly, asking them to wait another two days, she had $100 riding on this wager. 

 

(Dinner was on her two days later.)

 

“Actually, I wish I was there. Laid on the couch, watching Stranger Things for the seventh time, with your arm around me and not in traction.” Benji tells the phone, “I'm glad you're not here. You’re safer there, away from this.” 

 

He knows he doesn’t have long, Luther and Ilsa will look for him if he doesn’t come back soon, and he doesn’t want them to know about this. If they know he has someone to go home to, they won’t want him out there, they won’t let him risk his life, and they’ll be a man down and Benji can’t let that happen. 

 

They’ll also know how scared he is, how much he has to lose, that he and Will aren’t just some casual fling or two agents finding relief in someone who knows how hard it is. He’s not ready for that, he’s not ready for anyone but Will to know just how much he cares about him.

 

“I love you.” Benji tells the phone, “I know it’s selfish, I know you deserve to be able to say it back, I know you’re going to hate me for dying on you and probably going to go into some ridiculous spiral of self destructive behaviour because of it, sleeping with every ginger nerd you can find to try and bring the memory of me back - ”

 

_ Make jokes, make jokes, make jokes.  _

 

“But I do. I love you, Will. I just… I hope this isn’t where it ends for us. For me, more than anything, because I have some ex’s I need to rub you in the face of.” 

 

Benji takes a deep breath, and just stays silent for a long moment. There’s so much more he wants to say, but time is not their friend and if Will isn’t going to kiss him quiet, then what’s the point? 

 

“I’m going to hang up now, got to save the world.” He forces a small smile, for himself more than anything, “Goodbye Will.” 

 

He pulls the phone from his ear, and lets his thumb hover over the hang up button for a second. Seven seconds of silence have passed when he finally taps it. Benji takes a moment to breathe, to relax and pull himself together. 

 

Then he turns on his heel, and heads right back into the lion’s den.

 


	2. Please Leave A Message

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _When Benji gets home, Brandt is going to kill him. If he’s already dead, he’ll find some ethically challenged scientist and get him to resurrect the man, just so he can kill him again._
> 
> \---x
> 
> In which Brandt is frustrated and prepared to exact some severe revenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after rewatching Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation today, I felt more confident in having a bash from Brandt's POV.
> 
> So here is the completely unplanned, and altogether too short sequel!

_ I’m going to hang up now, got to save the world. Goodbye Will. _

 

The silence on the end of the call seems to drag for an age, and Brandt can hear Benji’s soft breathing. The woman on his voicemail tells him to hit 1 to replay the message and Brandt can’t hit it fast enough. 

 

_ I might die pretty soon. Within 24 hours actually… _

 

Brandt hits end call. It isn’t as if he doesn’t have the message etched into his brain already. Even without an eidetic memory, or having listened to it repeatedly for hours, he’s pretty certain he’d remember every word Benji said. He’s been trying to call him back for hours, leaving more and more frustrated voicemail messages everytime the bastard doesn’t answer.

 

He’s on medical leave after an incident that broke both of his arms - and yes, Benji, he does know how  _ bloody ridiculous _ that is. His arms are healed enough to have been placed in firm bandages, rather than the horrible casts he was stuck in for weeks. He’s got enough use of his hands that he can flip off his phone, and hit redial repeatedly, but he’s got no access to anyone who could actually find out what’s happening with Benji right now. He can’t cash in any of his favours because nobody will take his damn calls. Even Hunley isn’t answering him, and that guy loves dashing Brandt’s hopes. 

 

_ When  _ Benji gets home, Brandt is going to kill him. If he’s already dead, he’ll find some ethically challenged scientist and get him to resurrect the man, just so he can kill him again. 

 

He tries Benji’s number again, as if it’s going to make any difference, and hears the same familiar voicemail message. 

 

_ This is Benji. I’m not here right now, busy saving the world! Leave a message and I’ll get back to you.  _

 

( _ “Did you forget the covert part of covert government agency?” Brandt had asked when Benji had finally called him back that first time. _

 

_ “What’s more believable? Me claiming I’m saving the world, or me having a boring, professional voicemail?” Benji replied, and for the first time, Brandt knew this man was going to be a capital p Problem. _ ) 

 

Brandt rubs at his tired eyes, “Benji, if you’re dead, I am going to fucking bury you in a Jar Jar Binks shirt.” 

 

He pulls the phone away to hit end call before remembering how to add further insult to his partner, “With an Ewok!”

 

He stabs the end call button again and throws his phone in the direction of the door. There isn’t a bang as it hits the hardwood, instead there’s a yelp in a voice that Brandt knows all too well. 

 

Stood in the doorway, looking bruised, tired and with an angry red mark around his neck and Brandt’s phone held in one hand is  _ fucking Benji _ .

 

“An Ewok, Will? Pretty certain that counts as desecrating a body.” Benji quips, with a half smile. 

 

Brandt is torn. He wants to kiss him, he wants to punch him, he wants to hold him, he wants to shove that phone up his ass…

 

“Surprise?” Benji offers. 

 

He settles for running over to him and clinging to him. He fully intends to whisper I love you, and that Benji is  _ not  _ allowed to die until he knows that his feelings are so fucking mutual. 

 

Instead he finds himself whispering, “It’ll fucking talk too.” 

 

The smile against his cheek, and the way Benji’s hand clings to his shirt as he laughs tells him that Benji probably got the message.

  
  



End file.
